WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

CATHOLIC SENATOR PUSHES BILL TO PROTECT PARENTS WHO OPPOSE GENDER IDEOLOGY Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is introducing a bill to prevent federally funded child welfare agencies from penalizing parents for raising a child according to his or her sex. CatholicVote’s Tom McClusky called it a safeguard against the government “weaponizing” child welfare cases against families. READ

THE HYDE AMENDMENT’S PRO-LIFE LEGACY 50 YEARS LATER As pro-lifers mark the Hyde Amendment’s 50th anniversary today, a former aide told Zeale News how Rep. Henry Hyde’s Catholic convictions shaped his defense of unborn children and his approach to politics. The amendment has protected taxpayer dollars from funding most abortions for five decades, saving an estimated 2.7 million lives. READ

KANSAS AG PROBES LEFT-WING GROUP FOR BRIBING HIGH SCHOOLERS TO REGISTER TO VOTE Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach ordered the Kansas League of Women Voters to maintain records related to a high school voter registration drive, where high school students were offered gift cards in exchange for registering to vote. READ

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SENATE PASSES COLLEGE SPORTS BILL The Senate passed a bipartisan bill to set national rules for college athlete pay, transfers, and eligibility. It would protect athletes’ ability to earn money from endorsements while shielding some NCAA rules from antitrust lawsuits. The House is expected to take it up after the midterms. READ

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DATA ANALYST: MAGA REPUBLICANS STRONGEST WING OF GOP VOTER BASE GOING INTO MIDTERMS A CNN analysis is suggesting that MAGA Republicans are committed to winning in the midterms, with just as much voter enthusiasm as Democrats have and a higher margin of support for the GOP than previous midterm elections have seen. Non-MAGA Republicans, however, may dampen potential GOP wins. READ

MOTHER SUES OREGON SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER ANTI-CHRISTIAN REIMBURSEMENT POLICY An Oregon mother of five is suing her local school district for denying reimbursement for academic curricula that incorporate a Christian worldview. However, the district has also approved a book that promotes second-graders dressing in drag and another that teaches a Native American spiritual approach to the environment. READ

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POPE LEO SPEAKS TO THE SICK AT LOURDES At a shrine known for welcoming those seeking healing, the Holy Father spoke directly to people living with illness and pain. On the flight home, he explained why he had raised the defense of life in France. READ

SHEEN’S INFLUENCE SPANS GENERATIONS AT BEATIFICATION From older Catholics who remember hearing Fulton Sheen on the radio to younger generations discovering his timeless recordings today, pilgrims at his beatification in St. Louis told Zeale News how the newly beatified archbishop continues to shape their faith. Were you there? Send us your photos to be featured in our slideshow! Email them to submissions@zeale.co. READ

RELATIONSHIP TESTS WITHOUT TRICKERY What can the character tests of folklore teach us about the proper and wise way dating should be used to determine compatibility? Zeale’s Grace Porto cautions against a disordered view of courtship as a series of pass-fail tests and encourages modern couples to embrace a more human approach to discernment. READ

CATHOLIC 101 St. Jerome’s love of Scripture went beyond scholarship. The priest and Doctor of the Church spent decades studying the Bible, driven by a conviction that went to the heart of his faith: to know Scripture was to know Christ. READ

SAINT OF THE DAY St. Jerome’s love for the Word of God shaped a life of prayer, study, and a desire to know Christ more deeply. READ

DAILY PSALM “Let my prayer come before you, Lord.” (Psalm 88) READ

DAILY READINGS Today's Mass readings. READ

NEW EPISODE Join Tom as he travels to Smith Island, Maryland, to spend a day crabbing with generational waterman Mark Kitching and understand why one of America’s oldest island communities is disappearing. The latest episode of Tom Across America is out now on Zeale. WATCH

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